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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cap — a hat
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. staff — employees
  15. wake — a trail
  16. staff — a stick
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cap — of ice
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cap — a lid
  22. tube — a container
  23. staff — employees
  24. stand — to bear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com